ON THE MARK: Lugris named St. Joseph’s men’s head coach

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. — Mark Lugris has been named head coach of the St. Joseph’s College men’s soccer team.

Lugris might be best known for scoring the first goal of the 1994 World Cup qualifying tournament as Puerto Rico defeated host Dominican Republic, 2-1, in March 1992.

He served as men’s assistant coach of the men’s in 2016 and with the women’s squad in 2017.

Lugris has a wide range of coaching experience across more than two decades. As a Puerto Rican Soccer Hall of Fame inductee (2014), Lugris’ playing career has been the cornerstone of his soccer education. As Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association State Cup champion with Hicksville Americans and two-time New York City and State Champion at Holy Cross High School in Queens, Lugris earned a scholarship to Fordham University.

His professional playing career spanned 12 years with stops in Houston, Columbus, Dallas, Toronto and Spain.

Lugris was inducted into the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame and named a New York City Soccer Gala Honoree in 2014.

He is the technical director of youth development at Northport Cow Harbor United SC. His college coaching experience includes two stints as the assistant coach of Fordham University men.

About The Author

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered eight World Cups, seven Olympics and all 21 MLS Cups. He writes about New York City FC, New York Cosmos and the U.S. national team for Newsday and pens a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has two more in the works, including one about the Rochester Lancers.